Estacada aka River Mill Lake (Level 1)

Registration

Active club members, including kayaking professional & lifetime. Provisional acceptance, pending approval by the Trip Organizer.

Registration is closed

Trip limited to OOPS members with WEC (unless exempt under Activity Policy F.1.). To register you'll need to log into your member account on the OOPS website.

Launch has been changed to Milo McGiver State Park UPPER Boat Launch.

Narrative:Would you like to come along on a relaxed paddle where you have time to practice different strokes or take some photos? If so, please join me on Estacada Lake, a.k.a. River Mill Lake/Reservoir. SUPs are welcome. We’ll paddle round-trip on this narrow three-mile long reservoir that sits in a short canyon with several waterfalls and surrounded by Oregon greenery. It’s likely that the resident ospreys have returned, and we may see egrets, eagles, or even an otter.

We’ll head upriver at a normal pace, launching at 10:30, and hopefully we can get out at the end to stretch our legs. The current may be too swift to get to the gravel beach “around the bend.” Regardless, we’ll take a more leisurely trip back downstream, taking some time to practice paddling backwards, doing sweep and rudder strokes, or whatever appeals. Get out the camera and take some close-up shots of Mother Nature without worrying that you’ll be left behind. Time on the water will be somewhere between two-and-a-half and three hours, depending on how fast people paddle backwards and in circles. Bring a snack or lunch if you’d like. If we can’t get out of our boats at the end, we can take an in-the-boat break or skip the break and be back at the launch area by around 1 p.m.

We will observe the Four Ps: Please Plan to be a Pod Participant! If you are a lone wolf, this is not the trip for you.

Milo McGiver State Park : 24101 S Entrance Rd, Estacada, OR, 97023 There is a canoe/kayak launch aid for folks who are uncomfortable with using a dock. State park fee. Vault toilet available.